Trickster's Fate
by LunarianPrincess
Summary: Aly is settled into her new life, raising her kids and handling threats to the new queen. An ancient enemy of the gods has arisen, forcing Aly and her friends and family to use all of the resources at their disposal. Will they be successful or will life a


Trickster's Fate

LunarianPrincess

Chapter 1: Court Happenings

An ancient enemy of the gods has arisen, forcing Aly and her friends and family to use all of the resources at their disposal. How is Aly to continue when those close to her are constantly targets?

I've decided to repost and reorder the chapters so hopefully you like this.

SDA: the children and all the char's you don't recognize are mine.

Aly watched as Cleomeni, Alsatia and Gilbert played their favorite game, catch the mole. She watched proudly as they used their wits along with the Sight they got from their mother not to mention the tricks they had learned from their father. Cleo, the oldest had her father's crow black hair and his skill with a bow. Gil, the next youngest had his father's eyes and gifts for fletching, and his mothers hair, and her skill with knives. Sati, the youngest had hair the color of burnished gold and deep green eyes, she had a playful nature and excelled at everything she tried.

"Mother, mother, I caught Cleo but she says she got free, mother, mother, I got her, I win!" Sati declared angrily, she had Cleo firmly by the wrist. Cleo grabbed Sati's arm and tried to flip her. Sati let her sister's strength carry her and she landed perfectly with Cleo's arm twisted behind her, with a powerful leg sweep Cleo was on the floor. Aly tried to keep a smile from blooming on her face though the pride that filled her eyes at her children's antics was inescapable. When Sati turned to her mother again Cleo flipped up and caught Sati around the waists and threw her to the floor. Aly waded in before the blows became serious.

"Now children, it's almost dinner time, don't you think we should get ready to see Auntie Dove?" Cleo, the oldest at 6 nodded and bowed, leaving the room. Gil, who had been reading, as was usual blinked and stood. Sati eyed her mother balefully, she hated court dinners they lasted so long, Aly tried not to laugh as the four year old gave a heart filled sigh and followed her five year old brother.

"Our nestlings do well," Nawat said, coming in and embracing Aly. She smiled at him before kissing him thoroughly.

"Our nestlings are the best," Aly responded when she took a breath. She slung her arm around Nawat's waist and headed towards their rooms. She removed her breeches and shirt, her working clothes. As Dovasary's spymaster she preferred to work in relaxed clothing. She grabbed one of the dresses she kept for court dinners. She picked a deep green embroidered in copper colored thread. It showed off her trim figure and was loose enough to stow all her hidden weapons. She was glad that Dove had made belled sleeves a popular fashion, it allowed her to use wrists sheaths, though she knew Dove used them in order to carry her books secretly to state dinners and things which she thought were interminably boring.

Nawat joined her as she walked towards the hall, she heard Cleo, Sati and Gil with their nurses fall into step behind them. Nawat was in smoky gray with copper embroidery, one of the outfits she had given him for Midwinter last year. They walked into the hall. Few people knew Aly's real reason for staying with the Balitangs, they thought it was the fact that she had been made a lady. Few knew that Aly was really Alianne, the daughter of two of the most famous people in the world, Lady Knight Alanna of Olau and Pirates Swoop and Baron George Copper of Pirates Swoop, royal spymaster. In actuality she served the new queen as spymaster.

She watched as her children ran to Petranne, one of their adopted aunts. She was only 12 and she loved the children, currently she was sitting with Lord Ranit, a thirteen year old heir to Duke Milagro. The boy accepted the boisterous children without batting an eye, Aly respected his stoicism. She inspected her children's clothes. Cleo was wearing a deep purple gown embroidered in gold, nearly the shade of her eyes, which she had gotten from her famous grandmother. Gil was in a tunic of dark brown with silver embroidery, which set off his sable eyes, his breeches and shoes were black. Sati was in a gown of amber silk embroidered with black, Aly smirked as she saw the telltale rumples in her child's clothes that showed she was concealing a blade or two. She greeted Petranne and Ranit as she relieved Sati of her weapon. Sati pouted at her and Aly smiled, patting the girl on her head. She had tried the same tricks when she was a kid, she respected her child.

Aly made her rounds, subtly watching the nobles as they mingled. She knew almost all of their secrets, who was sleeping with who, and that sort of thing. The only thing she really worried about were assassination plans or uprising information. She turned towards the dais, looking at her queen. Dove smiled at her, before turning back to her step-mother. She was resplendent in copper silk embroidered in black, the small circlet of copper with gold accents her everyday crown, the real thing was only reserved for important events of state. Winna was in a dark pink embroidered with white, it was a good color for her. Aly saw her darking, hidden as a ribbon in her tresses, many of the court members had tried to duplicate the look with varying degrees of success.

With a subtle movement Dove beckoned Aly onto the dais, and with a hand signal that meant _meet me later_, she introduced her to her companion. Aly noticed the woman was a newcomer, she appeared to be in her thirties. Blonde hair that was limp and thin was pulled into a circlet, her dress, a glaring red which did not flatter her coloring, hung loosely around her thin frame. Aly judged she was one of the nobles who had been hit hard by the raka rebellion.

"Aly Homewood," she said, using Aly's alias. "This is Lady Marile, Lady Marile this is one of my attendants Lady Aly," Aly made the required small talk though her eyes were constantly scanning the room for possible dangers. She looked over and saw her da's agent, Deiter. The luarin man was only fed the information Aly allowed, keeping her father informed but not to knowledgeable. Aly made her regrets to Dove and the new lady and headed towards Nawat, they made their way towards Petranne and retrieved their children. The occasion continued and Aly was surprised to see that Chenaol delivered her tables meal personally. The old cook gave a signal for information and urgency before disappearing into the kitchen again. Nawat looked at her questioningly, she shrugged at him. She ate slowly, not showing her unease and anxiousness to get to her rooms. She danced the first dance with Nawat and the second then she slipped unobserved from the hall. She hurried down the hall, hiding in the shadows until she reached the spymaster's rooms. Grabbing one of the small sticks that housed a miniature knife she wound her long strawberry blonde hair into a knot at the top of her head.

When she sat down at her desk two of her agents approached, they looked worse for the wear, though they had been cared for and were currently eating some of Chenaol's turnovers. She pulled a ledger towards her as Trick, the darking who had formed a pendant looped over her ear.

V I V

Well, that's the first chapter, I know not much plot movement but it will get better. The ideas I have for this fic are very vague so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them. Eventually this fic will be part of a quartet. After Aly's last big battle her children must grow up and (pardon the pun) leave the nest right? So what did you think, should I continue?


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